Paper Doll
by Strawberry.kitkat
Summary: Her freedom would be short, but it would be sweet, and it would be something Ai would never let go of.
1. Doll

**Paper Doll**

**A Vocaloid fanfic**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vocaloid or any of the characters except for Ai.**

**Author's note: Hey guys! I decided to take a break from one obsession and touch on another: Vocaloid! I swear, those songs are so addicting . Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy!**

Chapter one: Doll

Maybe it was the fact that she had tripped and fallen right into him. Maybe it was the fact that she had been coughing like she had been inhaling smoke for an hour. Or maybe it was the fact that she looked small and fragile, like a paper doll.

Or maybe, just maybe, it was because she was just like him.

Whatever the reason was, on a hot summer's evening Kamui Gakupo found himself tending to a small, red-haired child. She had slipped into unconsciousness once he laid her in the guest room. He laid a cool lavender clothe on her forehead as she murmured restlessly in her troubled sleep, pale purple eyelids fluttering as she tried to escape the nightmares that plagued her.

"Hush now," he murmured gently, brushing her dark red hair away from her forehead. She turned slightly as his hand left her forehead, and he almost expected her to open her eyes and look up at him. She didn't, of course. He sighed and rested his elbows on his knees, head in his hands. He had a terrible headache; he should go and get some water. It felt wrong to leave the small child alone, though, as if she was nothing more then smoke and she would disappear if he moved.

She tossed and turned in her sleep, frowning as if in pain but not making a sound. He smoothed her hair back again, taking a moment to curse the world. Why, oh why, were poor children such as this forced to dance until they could barely walk, to sing until their throats were raw, to do whatever they were told and nothing else? He remembered the horrors he had faced- the endless concerts, the screaming fans that made his head throb, the greedy people who wanted more, more, so much more than he could offer…

He let his thoughts slip to the girl that had lifted him away from his sorrow and saved his life. Megurine Luka, with her daring blue eyes and long, pale pink hair. She had come like a thief in the night, to steal him away from his sorrow and pain and, ultimately, to steal his heart. He sighed and opened his eyes, looking down at the child.

She seemed to be about eleven or twelve. She was so young; the youngest had been the Kagamine kids, Rin and Len, at fifteen.

_What has gotten into our world?_

It had been no doubt that the child had been a vocaloid; the number thirteen tattooed onto her arm, a scarlet brand on the young girl's body, had given her away. He had scooped her up and carried her like a baby, her marked arm pressed against his chest to hide the incriminating tattoo. It was a sickening cruelty, this poor girl abused and used, for the purpose of other's entertainment.

He looked over his shoulder as he heard the door open, and his heart lightened. Luka stood in the doorway a moment, and then closed the door and approached him, resting light, graceful hands on his shoulders.

"This is her," she said softly, more a comment then a question. Gakupo nodded, suspecting she had heard the news from Meiko. "She's so young." Gakupo nodded again, his eyes searching the child's face.

"It's disgusting," he said, more to himself then anything. Luka tightened her grip on his shoulders, and he knew she agreed. They were among the oldest of the escaped vocaloid, and had seen all the horrors of the cruel, greedy world. The only others who knew the experiences were Sion Kaito and Meiko (who had dropped her last name as a sign of freedom when she had escaped with the other three).

"Have you found out who she is," Luka asked, breaking into his thoughts with little more then a soft tap. He shook his head. "I'll run a search through the database. Maybe something will come up."

"Be careful," he said, taking her cool hand in his. "Don't let yourself get caught." She gave him a smile and leaned down, her hair brushing his shoulder as she pressed her lips to his cheek.

"I'm always careful," she said softly, then straightened and left. He turned to the child as the door clicked softly. After a moment, he got up and went to the kitchen to get some water, his nerves settled slightly by the surprise visit.

While he was gone, the girl woke. Long eyelashes fluttered open, red orbs gazing at the ceiling.

_Where am I?_

She opened her mouth to speak, and found she couldn't. It was just as well; she didn't want to have to sing anymore. Maybe they'd give her a longer break…

_Except you ran away._

She remembered then; she had run away from the concert, her feet hurting and her throat feeling like the skin had been peeled away. She hadn't stopped, afraid that they would come around the corner and capture her again if she stopped.

Then she had run into someone, a man with purple hair and kind yellow eyes. He had carried her somewhere, to a place with a nice, soft bed. Of course, her nightmares had hounded her, but she knew that they were only dreams and not real…

"You're awake."

She looked up to find the man entering the room, two glasses in his hand. Her eyes flickered to the transparent liquid in the glasses, then back to his eyes, as she realized how thirsty she was. He smiled gently and held the glass out to her. She slowly reached out and took it, looking into the cup before raising it to her lips and taking a shallow sip.

"How are you feeling?"

She looked at him as he sat, her wide eyes unblinking. It was almost unnerving, he thought. Her eyes were a deep, reddish brown, their depths almost fathomless. She looked away, breaking contact, and stared into the glass as if there was something interesting floating around at the bottom. She shrugged, then began to lift a hand to her throat, but let it drop to her side.

"Did you run away from a concert?"

A pause, then a nod, her eyes darting to him for a second, and then back to the water in the glass. "You're pretty brave," he said. "I wouldn't have dared do such a thing." She looked up at that, a question in her eyes. He lifted his sleeve to show his own scarlet brand, then let it drop. "You're safe here."

She nodded her head once, slowly, then drank the rest of her water and sat the glass on the bedside table. Her sleeve rolled back slightly to reveal her pale, thin wrist. With a quick shake of her head, she shook the sleeve back down and folded her hands in her lap.

"I'll go get something for you're throat," he said. She looked down at her lap as he left, then lay back down, curling up into a ball.

_Safe, you're safe here, safety, not home, quiet, too quiet, no sound…_

A thousand thoughts crashed through her brain as she closed her eyes. She hated the fact that she couldn't sleep if there was no sound, that she could only sleep in silence if her body was on the verge of shutting down on her. She tried her best to sleep, closing her eyes tight, then gave up when she heard the door open again.

"Here," he said, handing her a cup. "It's milk and honey." She sipped at it, feeling the cool, soothing liquid slide down her throat. "How long have you been forced to do this?" She thought for a moment, then held up five fingers. Five years she had been singing and dancing, since she could remember. "How old are you?" Ten fingers, then 2 more. A few more months and she would be thirteen, but she didn't know how to tell him that. She finished the milk and honey, then sat with her hands folded in her lap, watching him.

He held her stare for a moment, thinking. He would take her to meet the others tomorrow; then they could figure out who she would stay with and what would happen to her. He had a feeling she would stay with him, seeing as Miku and Kaito shared a flat with the Kagamine twins, Meiko lived above her mechanics shop and barely had room for herself, and Luka… well, he wasn't sure about Luka. She had never told him where she stayed, but that she did stay somewhere.

He had invited them all to stay with him at one point, but they had agreed that it would make it too easy for them to get caught. He lived on a hill, in a large, edo-period style home with a dojo at the side.

_Well, you won't feel so alone now,_ he thought, as she looked down and fiddled with her hands. He already felt attached to the girl, like she was a puppy that he had found that needed to be taken care of. He wouldn't mind caring for her; it would give him something to do with his days. He could tell she would be non-obtrusive, as she was much quieter then everyone else.

"You're going to meet the others tomorrow," he said, bringing her attention back to him. She looked at him with her large eyes, then nodded once, her red bangs flopping over her forehead. He chuckled, and she frowned, pushing her bangs off her face. "I'll call Rin tomorrow and have her bring you some clothes to wear." She nodded and looked down at her outfit; it wasn't unlike a school uniform. The shirt was a buttoned-up affair, sleeveless, a red tie tied loosely around her neck. She wore black shirts with a red band at the bottom, and boots that came up to her knees. Arm sleeves flared out from her elbow, hiding her tiny wrists and hands. She was pale, as if she didn't see sunlight enough, and she had dark circles under her eyes.

"Do you have a name," he asked. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it and lifted a hand to her throat, shaking her head. She couldn't talk just yet, then. "Can you write?" She nodded, looking a little excited. He fished around in the bedside drawer, then withdrew a pad of paper and a pen. She took it gently and wrote something down quickly- one character for her first name.

"Ai," he read. She nodded, resting. "Well, Ai," he said with a small smile, "you get some rest. In the morning we'll go and meet the others." She nodded and lay down, curling up into a ball and closing her eyes. He watched for a second, then turned and left, closing the door softly.


	2. Cendrillon

**Author's note:**

**Hey everyone! Strawberry here with another chapter~ I'm able to do these so fast because I've got a killer sunburn and therefore am confined to the inside of the house ^.^' but once the weekend is over I'll have to go back to school .**

**Anyways, sunburn aside, enjoy!**

Chapter two: Cendrillon

"Gakupo, we're here!"

Ai looked up at the door as she heard voices in the hallway, quickly approaching. She recognized one of them as Gakupo, but she couldn't tell if there was one person with him or two.

_Two, must be. I can hear the sentences overlapping each other._

Seconds later, the door opened, and Ai's suspicion's were confirmed. Two blonde teens entered the room, identical in almost every way. The girl had a huge white bow in her hair, while the boy had his hair pulled back into a short ponytail. Both had wide blue-green eyes.

"You must be Ai," the girl said, with a big smile. "I'm Rin Kagamine, and this is my brother Len." Ai nodded her head to both of them, managing a tiny smile.

"Her throat is still raw from yesterday," Gakupo said. "She can't really talk just yet."

"You poor girl," Rin said, sitting down next to Ai on the edge of the bed.

"You'll be safe here with us," Len said. "We've only been with the others a year but they've taken good care of us."

"Did you bring the clothes, Rin," Gakupo asked, leaning against the wall. Rin nodded and reached into her knapsack, pulling out a bundle of clothes.

"You two shoo," Rin said, laying the clothes on the bed. "Let me get her changed so we can get going."

"You should come too, Rin," Len chided gently, taking his sister by the arm. It was a gentle gesture, and it was evident in Len's eyes that he loved his sister. "I'm sure she can dress herself." Ai nodded when Len looked at her, and he gave her a smile. He tugged his sister out of the room despite her protests, leaving Gakupo and Ai alone.

"Just come on out when you're done," he said. She nodded and waited for him to leave, then stood as the door shut. She unfolded the clothes, then hesitantly unbuttoned her shirt and let it slide off. She caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror across the room and winced; there was a deep purple bruise over her ribs. She shook her head and grabbed the shirt, sliding it on over her head. The pink and white sleeves were long enough to cover her tattoo, which she was grateful of. She tugged her arm sleeves off, her arms feeling incredibly naked as she folded them and set them neatly on top of her shirt. Then she changed into the flowy skirt Rin had brought- it was pink and white and fell to her knees. She picked up the sandals that had fallen out of the skirt and slipped them on. They were slightly big, but it didn't bother her.

She went to the door and grabbed the cool handle, pausing before she tugged it open. She opened her mouth and attempted to speak, and succeeded in making a small squeaking sound. She sighed silently, letting her head hang for a moment before she pulled open the door.

"Aww, you look adorable," Rin said brightly. Len sighed dramatically and shook his head, then gave Ai a cute little smile that had her blushing. Gakupo was a little ways down the hall, talking on a cell phone. He nodded once, saying something Ai couldn't hear, then turned and looked at the three.

"Well, Everyone is at Miku's," he said. "We should get going." He looked at Ai and gave her a smile. "You look good." She lowered her head and nodded, then looked up abruptly as someone took her hand.

"Come on, let's go," Rin sang, tugging Ai gently along. Ai followed, Gakupo and Rin in front, Len bringing up the rear. As Ai followed, a thousand thoughts flowed through her mind. She had never felt so… included. Like she was a normal person instead of a "star", untouchable by the world and unable to feel.

Her feelings increased as she was ushered into the home of a girl with incredibly long, cyan hair pulled into two pigtails, who gave her a pretty smile and a hug. A boy with blue hair patted her head and offered her ice cream, which she declined with a smile and a shake of her head. A woman with short brown hair cut in a bob and dressed in red gave her a nod and a small, almost scary smile before taking a drink out of a bottle. A woman with long pink hair, after saying something to Gakupo and introducing herself as Luka, gave Ai a smile and, most surprising of all, a hug.

That was the breaking point. As Luka let go, Ai broke into tears, silent sobs shaking her small body. She heard everyone cry out in alarm, rushing to her, guiding her to a plush arm chair.

"Ai, what's wrong?"

Ai wiped at the tears that streamed down her pale cheeks, then took a deep, hiccupy breath and spoke in a raspy, painful voice.

"I… I've never been… treated like this… before," she gasped, looking up at everyone with her impossibly wide, deep eyes. "I've never felt… like someone… _cares._" Everyone stared at her for a second, surprise evident on their faces, understanding in their eyes. Luka kneeled in front of her and pulled her into a warm, motherly hug, allowing Ai to bury her face against her shoulder and cry.

"Ai, we all care about you," Luka said soothingly. "You're our family now." Ai nodded, pushing herself away from Luka and giving her a shaky, albeit real, smile. She looked up at all of them, the serenity of one word running through her head instead of the usual clamor of millions.

_Family._

Ai curled up in the arm chair, realizing she was exhausted, and planned on watching the others. Seconds later, she had fallen asleep.

Miku held a finger to her lips, and motioned for the others to go to the other side of the room so as not to disturb Ai. "She's adorable," Miku gushed quietly, her eyes watching the young child lovingly. "I feel so sorry for her."

"She's safe now," Kaito said comfortingly, setting down his ice cream bowl to hug her. Miku couldn't help but glow; she was the only one he put his bowl down for, ever.

"I'm guessing she's be staying with me," Gakupo said, watching Ai sleep for a second. He leaned against the counter, and Luka came to stand next to him, their arms almost brushing.

"That wouldn't be a bad idea," Meiko said. "I'd take the little tyke in, but I don't have the room." She glanced at Luka accusingly, and Luka only gave her a smile with a hint of a threat. They all knew Luka was hiding something, but was content with the answers she gave them if only for the fact that it was all she would tell them, and nothing else.

"So that's settled," Gakupo said softly. He turned to Luka, who looked up at him with those arresting blue eyes. "Have you found anything?"

"Ai Amaine, twelve years old," she said. "She's been doing this for far too long, and the records say that she would have been 'uninstalled' in a few years." Gakupo stared at her. Miku gasped quietly and clung to Kaito, who held her with trembling arms. The twins held onto each other. Even Meiko looked scared, an almost foreign emotion on the woman's face. To be "uninstalled" was the worst fate ever. To have you're voice stripped away, your body destroyed, your memories the only thing left to you…

"It's good she got to us when she did," Len said softly, drawing everyone out of their horrified thoughts. Rin nodded, then let go of her twin and crossed the room, sitting in front of the arm chair. She rested her head against the arm and closed her eyes, humming a comforting, soft tune. Len joined his sister, sitting across from Rin and at Ai's head, mirroring his sister's position and closing his eyes to listen. Miku and Kaito followed, sitting on the couch, holding each other comfortingly. Gakupo sat on the other couch, Luka following. She sat next to him, their arms almost touching but not. Meiko finally followed suite, sitting on the arm of the couch that Luka and Gakupo had sat on.

This was the scene Ai woke up to; it was quiet now, the night having snuck up on them, Rin's humming soothing them all into sleep. She smiled and snuggled back into the couch, watching them.

_Family._

She felt like she was in a fairy tale- what was it called? Cinderella? Yes, she felt like Cinderella- an average girl, surrounded by magnificent people, feeling like she finally had a place.

"Please," she whispered softly, her voice barely audibly and definitely not loud enough to wake anyone up. "Please, fairy godmother, don't let midnight come." With a soft sigh, she closed her eyes and fell asleep again, her new family all around her.


	3. Sakesama Reinboo

**Author's note:**

**Hey everyone :3 Here with another chapter (three in the same day?!?) I probably shouldn't post all the ones I have done at once (which are only three, rest assured) but I know if I don't do it now I'll be waaaay backed up.**

**Anyways, I really hope you guys enjoy this, and thanks for taking your time to read!**

Chapter 3: Sakesama Reinboo

Ai woke the next morning to a flurry of activity. Miku was cooking breakfast and telling Kaito that ice cream was _not_ a breakfast food. Luka and Meiko were busy looking at something on Miku's laptop, while Len and Rin were arguing about something, Gakupo playing mediator.

Len looked up as Ai stood, then nudged his sister before crossing the room. "Hey sleepy head," he said lightly, ruffling her hair. She blushed and frowned, lifting her hands to her head to fix her hair. "How's your voice?"

"Fine," she said, her voice a little high pitched from not being used, but otherwise ok. "What time is it?"

"It's almost nine," Rin sang, sitting on the arm of the chair. "Miku's finishing up breakfast." She leaned in closer, cupping a hand over her mouth. "Be careful, she has this weird thing with leeks," she whispered.

"I heard that," Miku said, turning and pointing the spatula at Rin. "If you're not careful I won't make you breakfast anymore!"

"Oh, the horror," Rin said mockingly. Ai laughed at their silliness, surprising even herself. She had never laughed like that before, or at least not that she could remember. She looked up, her eyes meeting Len's as he smiled. She blushed and quickly looked away, standing up.

"What are we doing today," she asked suddenly, looking at Gakupo. He leaned against the wall, thinking.

"Well, what would you like to do today?"

Ai stared at him for a moment, caught off guard. She looked down at her feet, then shrugged.

"Oh, I have an idea," Rin said, jumping up. "Why don't we take her to the park!" The others paused and looked at her. "Well, it's a really nice day out, and the park can be fun!"

"Is that what you want to do, Ai," Luka asked, looking to the younger girl. She nodded, suddenly feeling very small as everyone looked at her, waiting patiently.

"I would, ah, like that," she said. "It would be… fun."

"Yay," Rin said, throwing her arms around the smaller girl. "Come on, we can't let you wear the same thing twice in a row." Everyone chuckled as Rin dragged Ai by the hand to the room she shared with her brother. Even Ai couldn't hide her small smile, a warm tingle in her stomach.

"Here we are!"

Ai looked at the scene before her as the group walked over a hill. Lush green grass stretched for at least a mile, trees dotting the landscape and providing shade from the sun. there was a playground that kids played on, all of them like ants from where they stood.

"Let's go," Rin said. "Last one to the swings is a rotten egg!" Rin took off, Miku following and dragging Kaito with her. Meiko shrugged and ran too, quickly catching up to them with her long legs. Gakupo and Luka looked at each other with small smiles and began down the hill, at their usual distance.

"I'll race you," Len said, startling Ai. She looked up at him, blinking, then gave him a shy smile.

"I'm not a very good runner," she said. "And these shoes are too big on me." She lifted one foot to show him the tennis shoes Rin had let her borrow; they were a little big on her, like the sandals had been.

"I'll go easy on you," he said with a sportsmanly smile. "And if you trip, I'll catch you." Ai blushed, looking away, then looked back at him and nodded.

"Alright, you're on."

They dashed down the hill, Ai surprised at how fast she could really run. Rin met them at the bottom of the hill, tackling Len and letting Ai win. She laughed and jumped up and down victoriously, the summer sun warm on her face.

"I won, I won!"

She was caught up in a hug by Miku, spinning her around in a circle. "Good job," Miku said. "No one's been able to beat Len so far!" Rin and Len joined them, Len rubbing the back of his head and Rin looking at her brother apologetically.

"Ah, you cheated," he accused her, but with a smile. Rin looked at him innocently, grinning.

"I didn't. I was merely helping Ai out."

"Which is called cheating!"

"Is not!"

Len jumped on his sister, both of them rolling in the grass in a mock fight. Ai stepped back as they rolled past her feet, both laughing hysterically. She looked up at Kaito and Miku, who were chuckling at the pair, Kaito's fingers intertwined with Miku's.

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

Ai looked up to find Gakupo next to her, a small smile on his face as his golden eyes followed the pair. He looked down at Ai, who nodded and gave him a small smile of her own.

"This is… really fun," she said. "I'm glad we came here." He put an arm around her shoulder's, and that warm, fuzzy feeling of acceptance crept through her again.

"We come here a lot," he said, his eyes scanning their small group. Miku and Kaito had retreated to the swings, Kaito pushing Miku as they talked and laughed. Meiko was busy wrestling with Len and Rin, trying but failing to separate the two. Luka watched the three wrestle with each other, sighing and shaking her head. She looked up and saw the two, and gave them a smile. Ai followed the woman's gaze and realized she was looking at Gakupo, who was mirroring her smile.

"Do you like her," she asked, tilting her head to the side. He looked down at her, startled.

"What? Why do you think that?"

"Even I can tell you do," she said, her expression dead serious. "Does she know?" He shrugged and looked away, looking uncomfortable. "Why don't you tell her?"

"Don't worry about it," he said, looking back to her with a smile. She could see an emotion she didn't understand in his eyes, but it wasn't unlike the emotion she found in her own eyes when she looked into the mirror after a show, when she wished that she could escape. "Why don't you go play with Rin and Len?" Ai nodded once, then ran to join the tussle, Meiko seeming to have joined Len's team.

Gakupo watched her run off, then lifted his eyes to Luka. The older woman was aware of his feelings; she must have been. But she was so cryptic sometimes, rarely ever touching him when they were with the others. And they were almost never alone. He sighed and shrugged, finding a bench and sitting down. If it was all he could have, he was content with merely being near her.

"Ai, help," Rin called. Ai jumped on Len, causing him to loose balance and fall away from Meiko. She pinned him down for a moment by sitting on his chest, but seeing as she was much smaller than him he was able to get up, holding her tightly.

"Don't make any moves," he said, causing Rin and Meiko to stop. "It looks like you're going to loose, Rin! I've got you're partner!" Ai struggled, managing to slip loose and push Len back. He fell onto the grass, and Rin jumped on him, finding his ticklish spot. "Hey, wait, that's not fair," Len cried, laughing. He looked to Meiko for help, but the older woman merely held up her hands and shook her head, grinning. Ai laughed and looked up, having noticed that a certain pink haired girl had left their little group to sit next to Gakupo. The two were talking and smiling, not touching but facing each other. Gakupo glanced at her and smiled, then turned his attention back to Luka.

"Ok, I give, I give," Len said, laughing. Rin grinned and rolled off him, flopping onto the grass. Len sat next to his twin, and then fell back onto the grass, closing his eyes and taking deep breathes. Rin patted the grass next to her, and Ai sat down, smiling at Rin before closing her eyes. She took a moment to shut out all the thoughts rushing through her head and just _feel._

The sun was warm on her face, leaving butterfly kisses on her skin. A soft breeze ruffled her hair and cooled the suns touch. The grass prickled under her hands, but in a pleasant, ticklish way. When was the last time she had felt anything like this?

_Never._

The realization was almost sickening and pleasing at the same time. Sickening because she had never felt such joy, chained down by people who only wanted her for her voice and body. Pleasing because she got to taste the experience for the first time with people she loved, and who loved her back. She sighed and lay back in the grass, trying to forget everything she had endured.

After a second, she got to her feet, causing everyone to look up at her. She looked up at the sky, then smiled and lifted her hands into the air, her fists clenched. Slowly, she relaxed her hands, letting go. She looked down at Rin and Len, and smiled.

"Let's go play."

"Bye guys!"

"We'll see you tomorrow!"

Ai waved to the twins, Miku, and Kaito, then followed Gakupo down the stairs and onto the street.

"Did you have fun today," he asked, looking down at her. She nodded, her eyes bright. He smiled and put an arm around her shoulders as they walked back towards his home. "That's good."

"Yeah," she said with a sigh. "So what did you and Luka talk about?"

"Oh, nothing important," he said with a soft sigh. Ai smiled, almost knowingly, then looked ahead.

"Ok then."

They walked in comfortable silence until they got home. _Home,_ Ai thought, looking up at the house as they climbed up the steps. _I finally have someplace to call home._ She let Gakupo take her to her room and tuck her in, then snuggled under the coverlets and hummed until her voice faded into silence and she was carried off into a current of dreams.

Gakupo was alone in his room, staring up at the ceiling. It had been a good day. Ai seemed happy; she got along great with the others. He thought back to his conversation with Luka, closing his eyes.

"_She looks like she's having a good time."_

_Gakupo looked up as she sat next to him, a soft smile on her face. He nodded and smiled back, turning himself so that he was facing her. "What about you, Gakupo?"_

"_Hn? What about me?" She giggled softly. _

"_Are you having a good time?" He thought about it, then smiled wryly. _

"_I am now." Luka laughed, a sound like pure, silver bells. _

"_You act like you're young, Gakupo," she said, nudging him gently. The contact was a pleasant surprise. "You used to act like that when it was just the four of us. I guess you got old, neh?"_

"_Possibly," he said, looking at the group. Ai was looking up at him; he smiled at her, then returned his attention to Luka as Ai looked back down at the twins. Len looked like he was getting owned by Rin, but he wasn't too sure._

"_She looks up to you, I think," Luka said. He looked at her, head tilted to the side. "You're like a father to her. I suspect she's never really known what it's like to have one."_

"_Well then, I'll do my best to protect and care for her," Gakupo said with a nod, a twinkle in his eyes. "She probably doesn't know what its like to have a mother, either." Luka smiled, startled, a blush on her cheeks. _

"_Well, seeing as Meiko's unfit for that job and Kaito's not a woman-"_

"_Hey, he acts like it sometimes." She gave him a playfully warning look, then continued._

"_Well, Kaito's not a woman, so I'll just have to be her mother." She leaned back on the bench, watching the children run to the jungle gym. He watched Luka for a moment, smiling, then leaned back as well and watched everyone, a light feeling in his heart._

**Author's note:AWWWWWWW. I lovelovelove Luka and Gakupo as a couple :3 hope you guys enjoy! Oh, and please R&R? I'll love you forever.**

**Kaithanxbai! :D**

**~Strawberry**


	4. Sending Memories

**Authors note: **

**Wow, we made it to chapter four! I'm pretty proud of myself for that one :3 anyways, excuse my uber-dorkness and enjoy!**

**Ahem, and yes, I did exercise my rights to a time skip. If I didn't, this story would be far too long.**

Chapter 4: Sending Memories

_August 14, 2009._

_Gakupo gave me this journal and told me that I can use it for whatever I wanted to. I know Rin has a diary, so I thought I would start one too. I'm not sure if I'm doing this right, but when I asked Rin said that all I had to do was write what I was feeling, and what had happened that day as well as how I feel about it._

_Sounds hard, but I can give it a try._

_Today Miku invited me to spend the night at her place. Rin says I can take Len bed, saying that he snores anyways. I don't know if he really does, because Len was at the store with Kaito when Rin told me that. _

_I really like being with Rin and Len. They always include me in everything as much as possible, even though sometimes Rin tends to babble on to Len about something. I don't mind; they are twins after all. _

_Oh, I almost forgot to mention the reason why Miku invited me over. Tomorrow is Obon, the celebration of the dead. Gakupo says that it's a big festival, one that's very important. I understand what he means, even though we don't have any dead relatives of our own. We're celebrating the parts of us that died when we were forced to work. _

_I guess it's as simple as that. _

_All the girls are staying at Miku's tonight (I wonder if there will be enough room for all of us to sleep? I guess I'll take Len's bunk, but what about everyone else?) and all the boys will be at Gakupo's (no problem there, our house is huge.)_

_I guess today we're getting something called a yukata for the celebration. I wonder what one looks like._

"Ai, are you ready?"

Ai sat up on her bed as Gakupo leaned against the doorway. She nodded, hastily pulling on her shoes. "Where are we meeting the others?"

"We're all getting together at Meiko's, since it's the closest to the stores we'll need to go to." Ai stood and closed her diary, then slid it into the drawer on her bedside table. "Shouldn't you hide that where I can't find it," Gakupo asked, looking amused. Ai gave him a blank stare.

"Why would I do that?"

"Well- oh, never mind. Come on, we're going to be late." Ai nodded, her excitement rising.

"What does a yukata look like, Gakupo," she asked, as they walked down the concrete steps. Gakupo looked at her for a moment, then ruffled her hair with a smile.

"You'll see."

Ai frowned slightly; what was that look in his eyes? Why had he looked sad for a second there? It had been three weeks since she had started living with Gakupo and the others, but she still didn't understand a lot of things. She sighed softly and shrugged to herself, her mind trying to sort through the millions of thoughts in her head. She gave up and settled with the buzz as they walked through the neighborhood, people busy outside as they set up for the next day's festivities.

Ai turned her attention back to the road in front of her and almost walked right past Gakupo. He had stopped in front of a small, dusty shop. A sign swung gently, catching Ai's attention.

"Meiko's Auto Parts," she read aloud. "Gakupo, this can't be where Meiko lives. It's a store."

"She lives above the store," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, let's go inside." He gently pushed her in, and as she pushed through the door a bell rang. The store wasn't as small as Ai first thought, but it wasn't big either. It wasn't immaculately clean, but it was clean enough to still be drawing in business.

"How may I- Oh, it's you," Meiko said, coming out from a small storeroom in the back. Gakupo smiled, nodding his head.

"Hello to you too, Meiko." She scowled, then nodded to Ai.

"Where's everyone else," Ai asked, as the older woman picked something up from the counter and began to polish it with a rag.

"You're the first to arrive, but I think Miku, Kaito, and the twins should be here soon." As if on cue, the bell rang, and noise and laughter filled the shop.

"Ai, you beat us here," Rin said, throwing her arms around the smaller girl. Ai hugged Rin back, then waved shyly to Len as he approached. "Are you excited?"

"I'm not sure," Ai said with an almost nervous laugh. "This Yukata thing isn't some horribly heavy piece of clothing, right?" Rin and Len laughed, and Len shook his hair out of his eyes.

"No, silly," he said. "You'll like it. The one's for girls are pretty." Ai took a deep breathe and nodded, the apprehension in her stomach tensing some. She looked up as the bell rang again, and Luka slipped in, smiling serenely.

"Let's go," Miku sang in her pleasantly soprano voice. "If we don't hurry we won't get everything in time."

"Miku, it's only ten in the morning," Kaito reminded her with a slight chuckle. She shrugged and grinned, twining her fingers with his.

"I know, silly, but you know how Rin and Len took forever to pick their yukatas last year."

"Hey, that was all Rin's doing," Len said, pointing at his sister. She stuck her tongue out at him, and he pulled her into a one-armed hug and ruffled her hair (much to her annoyance).

"Let's go anyways," Luka said. "We have a bigger group to shop for now, since Meiko, Kaito and I need new ones." She looked at Gakupo expectantly.

"Mine is still in working condition," he said. "I'm just here to carry the bags." They all laughed, although Ai didn't quite understand what the joke was, and then they all headed out, chattering away.

"What color do you want to get, Ai," Rin asked, her and Len walking next to Ai so that Rin was in the middle.

"Maybe… bright red? It's my favorite color," Ai said, a thoughtful look on her face.

"That's a good color," Len said. "They always have lots of brightly colored ones, especially red." Ai smiled brightly, then stopped as the store that sold the yukatas came into view.

There was a pretty, long-sleeves dress on a mannequin outside, the sleeves dancing on an invisible wind. It was bright red, with a gold and purple design on it. "Is that it," Ai asked, looking back to Gakupo. He nodded, then placed his hands on her shoulders and guided her forward.

"Do you like it," he asked. She nodded, touching the light fabric.

"It's so… pretty."

"Wait here, then."

He went inside with everyone else, and came out seconds later, the shop owner behind him. "Are you sure this is the one you want," Gakupo asked, "or do you want to see some others?"

"I want this one, please," she said softly, her fingers touching the material again. He said something to the shop owner, who nodded and took it off the mannequin. Ai followed Gakupo back inside, then sat down on a bench in a daze. She hadn't expected them to be so beautiful. She all of a sudden couldn't wait for the next day, and her feet tapped the ground impatiently.

"You already picked yours?"

She looked up at Len, startled. She smiled brightly and nodded. "Yeah, shouldn't you be picking yours out?" He shrugged and sat next to her.

"Rin usually picks hers out first, and I pick something to match it." He grinned and shrugged again. "It's going to be yellow though, I know it." Ai nodded, then watched the others, suddenly at a loss for words. She had never really talked to Len without Rin, and Rin always started the conversations.

"So, are you excited," he asked, breaking through her frenzied thoughts. She nodded, looking straight ahead.

"This is my first Obon," she admitted. He smiled and patted her head.

"You'll like it, I promise. My first was last year, and it was… well, I'll never forget." She smiled meekly, then leaned back and looked up at the ceiling, wishing again that tomorrow would come already.

~the next day~

"Let's go!"

"Calm down, Ai," Luka said, laughing, as the younger girl bounced impatiently next to the door. "We'll leave as soon as Miku has her sandals on."

"But I want Gakupo to see," Ai said impatiently. She was proud of the outfit she had picked, and liked how her hair almost matched the red of the yukata and obi.

"He'll see, fuss bug," Rin said, giggling as she threw an arm around Ai's shoulders. "They're meeting us at the top of the street!" Ai puffed her cheek out, then nodded and tried to wait patiently as Miku struggled to get her sandal on.

"Alright, we're done," Luka said, standing. She looked up as the door slammed shut, the two girls having run out of the house.

They all met up at the top of the street, as Rin promised, and everyone complimented Ai on her yukata. She beamed, and skipped down the street, stopping when she saw the glowing lights and all the activity. Rin and Len dragged her off, showing her everything there was to see at the festival. Ai laughed as Len tried to show off and only succeeded in falling on his face.

"Come on, silly, lets go get some ice cream," Ai said, leaning over to help Len up. After pulling him to his feet, the three raced to the ice cream stand, Ai tripping halfway there.

"Are you ok," Rin cried, worried. She kneeled down next to the younger girl as she sat up, rubbing her forehead. Ai nodded, and let Rin and Len lift her to her feet before affecting a huge, cheery smile.

"I'll be alright."

They got they're ice cream and wandered around, Len and Rin babbling on while Ai looked around at everything. They stopped at a small stand where fans were being sold, Rin wanting to find one as a souvenir of this years festivities.

"Are you enjoying yourself," Len asked, surprising Ai and almost causing her to face plant into a display of delicate paper fans. She grabbed the edge of the booth to steady herself, then looked up at him and smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, this is a lot of fun," she said shyly. "I don't want this night to end." He grinned, ruffling her hair. For reasons unknown to the young child, her heart fluttered wildly.

"There's always next year."

"But that's a whole year away!" Len laughed, and even Ai couldn't help but giggle at her silliness. "Hey, look, what's that?" She pointed at a ball of paper sitting on the table, a candle glowing through the red and gold paper.

"It's a lantern," he said. "We're going to be floating them down the river in a little bit."

"Why would we do that? They're so pretty."

"It's to send the spirits back to the spirit world," he said, shrugging. "It's really cool to see the lanterns floating down the river, little lights bobbing in the darkness." Both looked up as a drum began to sound, and Rin rushed around the stand to get to them.

"Hey guys, the bon odori is starting!" Len grabbed Ai's hand and led her through the streets to a tall scaffold, where people had circled around it in matching yukatas. Two men at the top began playing music, one playing drums and the other singing. Ai watched, amazed, as the dancers began their dance, each moving in perfect synchronization with the people around them. They danced around and around the scaffold, doing simple yet stunning movements. They watched until the dance ended, and that was when Ai realized she was still holding Len's hand. She blushed and gently pulled her hand away, clasping both hands behind her back.

"That was really good," Rin said, as Len glanced at Ai with an amused look. Ai nodded, still blushing, then looked up as Gakupo approached, two paper lanterns in his hand.

"It's time," he said with a soft smile, and handed one to Ai. Ai nodded, then followed him to the river, the twins on their tails. They met the others at the river bank, where Luka handed the twins lanterns of their own.

"On the count of three," Miku said. They all kneeled down, and waited for Miku to give the word. "One, Two… Three!" They released the lanterns into the water, each joining a stream of others that had been released higher up. Ai stood and watched them go, keeping an eye on hers until it had disappeared from sight. She turned to Gakupo and smiled, then threw her arms around him in a hug.

__

I'm sending you memories, little ghost me,

she thought, as she hugged him. _You probably won't understand them, but I hope they make you happy until next year._ She looked over her shoulder as the fireworks began and smiled, already impatient for next year. 


End file.
